EP Review: CURE FOR GRAVITY – “Cure For Gravity”

From the moment I first listened to the opening song “Tonight” on alternative rock band Cure for Gravity’s new self-titled EP, I was bowled over by the sheer magnificence of their sound. On October 14, the Berkeley, California based group dropped Cure For Gravity, a collection of six exceptional tracks that combine lush atmospheric synths with dazzling guitar work and strong percussion. The EP – and band for that matter – are aptly named, as their music soars straight to the heavens.

The band consists of three highly-skilled musicians – Joe Markert (Vocals, Keyboards, Guitars), Chris Gamper (Drums & Percussion) and Dave Walcott (Guitars, Wall of Sound, Backing Vocals). They released their first EP Fallen Stars in 2012, which featured four solid tracks with a mix of acoustic and harder rock sounds. They’ve taken a more experimental approach with Cure For Gravity, and the results are pretty incredible.

“Tonight” opens with sounds from a rocket launch, then segues into distorted guitar, heavy bass and crashing cymbals before the track settles into a gorgeous sweeping affair with a Pink Floyd vibe. The song seamlessly transitions into the awesome second track “Sunspots,” by which time I was helplessly in love with this band’s music. The blistering guitar riffs in this six-minute long song are a wonder. Markert’s urgent vocals rise and fall perfectly with the music. The two tracks combined run over ten minutes, yet they’re so good they seem over in an instant.

“Just Like Candy” is pure delight, filled with playful guitar riffs that dance across big synthesizers and a buzzing bass line. With equal playfulness, his voice alternating from smoldering to falsetto, Markert sings of a woman who drives men crazy with her teasing indifference: “Violence on the dance floor / She wants less, but he wants more / They move left to right like an underwater knife fight / You’re blowing me down / She’s just like candy / Wearing a hole in me.” At 3:25 the song erupts with a rapid, hard-driving guitar riff that reminds me a bit like the ending guitar flourish of an Allman Brothers song.

Things turn dark and heavy with the psychedelic-tinged “BlackMetal.” Once again, the band’s nimble guitar work is amazing. And the music and vocals are so gorgeous in the moving rock ballad “Push” that I’m nearly blown away. The superb closing track “Killing For the Queen” offers up more soaring synths and mind-bending guitars that prove without a doubt that these guys are masters of their craft.

To sum up, I love this fantastic EP and am now a huge fan of Cure For Gravity. Learn more about them by checking out their website, and support these guys by following on Twitter and Facebook, and subscribe to their YouTube channel. Stream their music on Spotify and Soundcloud, and purchase on iTunes or Bandcamp.